1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling the operation of a motor vehicle drive train. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for controlling the operation of a motor vehicle drive train having a drive motor and a branched power transmission with several steplessly adjustable transmission ratio ranges, and between which shifting takes place at a predetermined transmission ratio shift range.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transmissions with steplessly adjustable transmission ratios enjoy increasing popularity in passenger cars, not only because of the riding comfort made possible, but also because of possible fuel consumption reductions. Their power capacity is generally limited by their torque-transmitting capacity and the transmission ratio spread range of the variable speed unit. For example, the variable speed unit can be constructed in the form of a belt-driven, conical pulley transmission with two pairs of conical pulleys, about which an endless torque-transmitting means, for example a plate-link chain, revolves. Adjustment of the transmission ratio takes place though an opposite change in the spacing between the disks of the conical pulley pairs. Another form of a variable speed unit is a friction disc transmission, in which the effective radius on which wheels or disks or other rolling bodies is changed.
It is known to widen the spread range of such transmissions having continuously adjustable transmission ratios by operating them with power branching. The transmission ratio range of the variable speed unit is thereby run through two adjacent transmission ratio ranges in opposite directions, so that the transmission enables a larger spread in relation to that of the variable speed unit.
One problem in the course of shifting between the transmission ratio ranges of such branched power transmissions lies in oscillations or instabilities in range shifts as they occur, when, for example, during or shortly after a range shift of the motor vehicle drive train, for example after an upshift by returning the accelerator pedal, a condition arises in which the range shift that just took place, which takes place at a predetermined transmission ratio shift range, is canceled. By means of a jerking of the motor vehicle during a range shift, feedback to the foot operating the accelerator pedal can take place, whereby the oscillation is amplified.
It is known that in automated transmissions such oscillations can be counteracted by using shift characteristic curves having hysteresis. That is not possible with branched power transmissions with several steplessly adjustable transmission ratio ranges, because the shift between the transmission ratio ranges in both directions necessarily takes place at a predetermined transmission ratio shift.
An object of the invention is to eliminate shift range oscillations in branched power transmissions having several steplessly adjustable transmission ratio ranges.